Wednesday, November 28, 2012

It's that most wonderful time of the year and your favorite breweries and bars have lots of special treats for those of you, whether or not you've been good. Go forth and spread the cheer of good beer.

For anyone attempting to plan an event that wants to stand out on the calendar, be aware that only 12/16, 12/24, 12/29, and 12/30 appear to be devoid of any special events. Have at it!

As always, if I'm missing any that you feel should be on here, let me know.

$20 and under, down to and including FREE...Pay As You Go (PAYG) also included here

(At this rate of "catching up", perhaps I'll be done by Christmas. What a gift that would be. Really only to me because, anymore, who's really counting?)

On September 23, Yards hosted their 4th annual Smoke 'Em If Yous Got 'Em event. The popular event was held again at the brewery, taking advantage of both the brewing space as well as the short street just outside the front door. Smoke-flavored beers were the focal point of the event with a supporting cast of great foods and music.

Outside, the street was filled with both amateur and professional chefs (including Percy Street BBQ and Vernalicious) cooking up their best barbecue. Unlimited helpings of everything from ribs to brisket to sausage were included in the price of admission and judged by guest judges as well as the public for people's choice.

There was much pleasing flavor to go around the event from the plate to the glass. However, one particular plate stood out for me. It was The Smoke Team's Suckling Pig stuffed with cornbread and broccoli rabe, then topped with duckfat sauce and duck cracklings. They called it "The Phillington", a classic Wellington with a Philly twist. A tasty twist indeed.

In the spirit of me dropping the ball more than is typical of late, I left before Yards owner Tom Kehoe announced the winning entries. So, I really have no idea how this magnificent plate of food fared at the judges' table. I had an early morning flight the following day and the prior day's activities at Sly Fox had already filled the weekend for me.

So this year, I will have to let the picture gallery do more of the talking on this page. (You'll notice quite a few Eagles jerseys being worn that day. Wonder if the event was being held, say, this Sunday if the colors would be seen just as much?)

Just another fine day and event at the Yards. If you've not given it a try, consider this fair warning for next September.

Brewery Promos and Samplings@Barcade, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Thu. 11/29 - Elysian Brewing Night (4 p.m.; $PAYG for a night with one of Seattle's finest and at least 19 of their beers)

@Grey Lodge Pub, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Fri. 11/23 - Oskar (Blues) The Grouch Night (6 p.m.-9 p.m.; $PAYG for lots of Oskar Blues beers in cans and on draft. Beers will include all the Oskar Blues core brands and some special stuff. This event, believed to the world’s first garbage can focused beer event, definitely should not be missed.)@Grey Lodge Pub, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Fri. 11/30 - Blackout Night with Great Lakes (6 p.m.-10 p.m.; $PAYG for the local draft debut of this year's batch of Great Lakes Blackout Stout. We will be under blackout conditions, just candlelight. Several other great Great Lakes beers will be on tap. Mark should have some Great Lakes give-aways too.)

@Iron Hill, Lancaster, Pa.--- Mon. 11/26 - St. James Release (11 a.m.-8 p.m.; $PAYG for the release of St. James Brown Ale, an English-style Brown Ale, and Give-20 benefiting the Anchorage Program at St. James Church.)

@Victory Brewing Company, Downingtown, Pa.--- Fri. 11/30 - Mustache Happy Hour (4 p.m.; $PAYG to show off your moustache pride for a chance to win some cool Victory goodies. Moustaches will be judged by the lovely ladies of Victory and prizes will be awarded to winners for the best facial hair in the following categories: Best Style, Wackiest, Fullest, and Creepiest)

@City Tap House, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Fri. 11/23 - Into The Black (2 p.m.; $PAYG for a celebration of the "art of dark craft")

@Devil's Den, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Thu. 11/22 - Full of Turkey? Come Drink you Pumpkin Pie (7 p.m.; $PAYG for a tapping a 2012 Southern Tier Pumking and one from last year. We will have a limited food menu available and special discounts for anyone that had to work on turkey day.)

Thursday, November 15, 2012

It's the designated time of year to give extra thanks for all that we are fortunate enough to have in this life and to share the goodness with others. Not too much of a leap to think that we, around Philadelphia, should be thankful for the year-round hard work of brewers, bar owners and all that are related to the process of getting great beer in our hands. Share the wealth.

@Devil's Den, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Wed. 11/21 - Duvel Rustica Feature (7 p.m.-10 p.m.; $PAYG to try the new collaboration between Duvel and Ommegang, brewed here in the US and should be an excellent Belgian Golden Ale. Enjoy it or one of several other Ommegang drafts.)

@Fegley's Brew Works, Allentown, Pa.--- Sat. 11/17 - Chocolate Festival (5 p.m.-8 p.m.; $10/$15/$20/$25 to start the holiday season early by indulging in decadent sampling of chocolate beer, wine, and liqueur. Additionally, food vendors will have samples available to all participants as well as showcasing their unique chocolate specialties.)

@General Sutter Inn/Bulls Head Public House, Lititz, Pa.--- Fri. 11/16-Sun. 11/18 - Fall Real Ale Festival ($PAYG and no entrance fee. This gives you the opportunity to come back several times in order to sample the variety of brews. Half price growler fills on Sunday; bring your own growler. Saturday from 8-11 a.m. a traditional English breakfast will be served in the pub.)

@Grey Lodge Pub, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Fri. 11/16 - Mad Elf, Happy You ($PAYG for Annual Mad Elf Night. As usual we saved a barrel from last year, so we will be pouring two years of Mad Elf. Also on tap will be Tröegs Scratch 78 Fresh Hop and Dream Weaver Wheat.)

@Kite & Key, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Thu. 11/15 - Russian River Night (7 p.m.; $PAYG as they've been saving a few Russian River barrels in the vault for special tapping on this night)

@National Constitution Center, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Thu. 11/15 - Bathtub Beer Fest (7 p.m.-10 p.m.; $45 for a unique, sudsy evening that harkens back to America's darkest, driest chapter: The Prohibition. We'll have flappers and gangsters and plenty of beer served straight from the bathtub. You'll enjoy samples of old-fashioned styles and new varieties, too. PLUS: All attendees receive free admission to the Center's Prohibition exhibit. Held in conjunction with the National Constitution Center's new exhibit, "American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition.")

@Memphis Taproom, Philadelphia, Pa.--- ending Fri. 11/16 - Thanksgiving Pie In The Sky from MANNA ($PAYG to buy MANNA Pies to help provide nourishing, life-sustaining meals to people in our area who are coping with life threatening illnesses.)

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

It doesn't happen often, but every once in a great while, I give out a picture of me.

After all these years (7, to be specific), I finally got to my first Dogfish Dash on September 30. At that point in my marathon training schedule, whether it was a wise idea remained to be seen. My training schedule called for an 18-20 mile run and the Dogfish Dash was a 10-K (with a 5-K option).

The races started and ended along the side of the main brewery building and the courses weaved their way through the neighboring community and farmland. While the support from the residents along the course was surprisingly sparse (based on my experiences in many other "neighborhood races"), there was no shortage of post-race excitement and support for their runners and their families and friends back at the brewery.

I won't bore you with the details of the race. We ran. We finished. Or, at least that's the view of runners by most non-runners, right?

So, what do you say, on to the beer? The race began at 8 a.m. on a Sunday morning and most runners were across the finish line not much later than 9 a.m., which conveniently was the time the brewery was allowed to start serving beer.

But don't let the time of day fool you; the runners were quick to jump into their allotment of three beers that came with the race participation fee. Unfortunately, the Indian Brown supplies were drained quickly. No slouches, though, Shelter Pale Ale and 60 Minute IPA picked up the slack for plenty of refreshment as the party picked up.

Live rocking music was provided and a breakfast buffet was served up during the two-ish hour long post-race party. Lines quickly grew long but that provided the chance to get to know other runners/beer lovers in line.

Dogfish went all out during the awards ceremony by first turning over their biggest check ever to The Nature Conservancy ($38,500) and then inviting Governor Jack Markell (who also happened to be campaigning for the fall election) to the stage to help brewery owner Sam Calagione present the overall and age group awards for both the 5-K and 10-K races. Costume awards were given as well, in keeping with what we've all come to expect from Dogfish Head (a la Bocce tournament, e.g.)

Winning the men's 5-K race at the wonderful age of 52 was Greg Cauller (time: 18:08!) and 35-year-old Lynn Knothe for the women (time: 19:58). On the 10-K side, the intersection of craft beer and running was no where more evident than with the men's winner, homebrewer Jeff Powers sporting an impressive 33:14. He was subsequently featured in Draft Magazine by The Beer Runner. On the women's side, Lauren Kobylarz took first place overall with a time of 40:45.

Monday, November 12, 2012

With yesterday's Harrisburg Marathon behind me, pretty certain that you'll see a solid uptick from me here in the beer world. 'bout time, don't you think? First up, let's get the weekly rundown of recent and interesting stories from here and there.

THE REST OF PLANET BEER
~ This article has really burned some people up. I say, step outside of our great-tasting world of "craft" beer and think what all the hubbub sounds/looks like from afar. On one hand, some suggest this could be just link baiting, but also consider that this is the exact flavor of opinion that I hear at least once a week from people who just don't get it or have no interest in getting it.

So, there's this writer guy Queenan has an opinion about what he sees in the beer world from afar. He doesn't seem to make any misrepresentations about who he is or, for that matter, what he knows...or wants to know. His only misstep, it seems, is to have suggested "...want people to cut this out..." Otherwise, he appears to be stating an opinion which I'm pretty sure he's free to do.

Let's leave it at that, nothing more to see here, move along. Still, there's no harm, in my opinion, in reading it. I don't think we really have to worry about him moving the needle with this article.

Friday, November 09, 2012

My unscientifically-formed impression of the Philadelphia beer scene is that outside of the mammoth Philly Beer Week each June, there may be no more anticipated display of Philadelphia beer riches than at the Craft Beer Express.

It has grown into a twice annual, one-day "event" of twelve events held across Center City Philadelphia and its border neighborhoods. A bus connects all of the establishments, transporting attendees who pay $10 for an unlimited number of rides for nine hours.

It's quite a spectacle, if you haven't seen it first-hand in the past.

"Wet Hop Rodeo and Ranchero Brunch"
It's our 4th Annual Wet Hop Rodeo, a round-up of local and national wet hopped beers. Come celebrate the awesome-ness that is fresh-hopped beer! We will be kicking the day off with Ranchero Brunch from 11am-3:30pm featuring huevos rancheros, cowboy steak & eggs, and chilaquiles among other brunchly delights. Fresh hopped beers will be pouring all day until they kick.

"Sweets & Sours"
The P.O.P.E. will have 14 exciting sour beers on draft in collaboration with East Passyunk neighbor, Ms. Goody Cupcake. We will be selling on premises her delicious & freshly made signature Truffles, pumpkin spice moonpies and debuting a unique, delicately-made cupcake infused with Russian River's Supplication.

A Festivus For The Rest Of Us
Our annual celebration of Seasonal and Christmas Beers. We will be hosting Megan Maguire of Ommegang and Suzy Woods from Allagash. These Girls will be doing double duty as they spin records and represent their beers. There may also be an official airing of grievances.

@The Institute, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Thu. 11/8 - James Bond Movie & Dinner Quizzo (8 p.m.-11 p.m.; $PAYG for an entree and your choice of beer for $12 and James Bond Quizzo with "You Only Live Twice" playing on the TVs.)

@Campbell's Field, Camden, NJ--- Sat. 11/10 - Sippin' By The River (1 p.m.-5 p.m.; $35-$65 for a keepsake stemless wine glass, and the chance to sample an assortment of great food, wine, beer, and spirits. Plus, interactive sessions, a silent auction, entertainment, live music, and much more)

@Convention Center, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Sat. 11/10 - PA Beer Festival (1 p.m.-4 p.m., 7 p.m.-10 p.m.; $15/$40 for one of the largest selections of beers on the east coast, featuring 100+ craft breweries and a total of over 250 beers to sample.)

@Field House, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Sat. 11/10 - Fresh Hop Festival (5 p.m.; $PAYG for any of our twelve fresh hop kegs being tapped at 5 p.m. These fresh hop beers are only kegged once a year so get the flavor while it lasts. Be a part of the PA Beer Fest in the PA Convention Center and join us as we introduce our Live and Local Series presented by TJ Kong.)

@Monk's Café, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Tue. 11/13 - Home Brewer Turn Pro Brewer Dinner (7 p.m.; $55 as local home brew guru, George Hummel, will select a handful of professional brewers who started as home brewers. George is co-owner of Home Sweet Homebrew at 20th & Sansom Streets.)

@Yards Brewing Company, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Thu. 11/8 - Beer Laws Forum Part 2 (7 p.m.-10 p.m.; $PAYG as Tom Kehoe, Lew Bryson, and Senator Chuck McIlhinney have all generously agreed to once again sit on the panel, and this time will be joined by Bill Covaleski, of Victory Brewing Co who will be representing the brewers of Pennsylvania, and Mike Gretz Sr. of Gretz Beer Distributors, who will be representing things from the wholesalers point of view.)

Tuesday, November 06, 2012

Most of you know that since 2005, I've put a lot of time and energy into promoting great beer here at The Brew Lounge. I've also talked a bit about my love for running and the intersection of the beer and running worlds. Even put on annual "beer run" event during Philly Beer Week.

I don't ask for any financial support directly in return from any of you. Indirectly, perhaps. Like now.

Instead of the 2012 NYC Marathon last weekend, I'll be running the Harrisburg Marathon this coming Sunday, November 11.

I've set up a way for you to support me by supporting the Central Park Conservancy. Many of you have likely found a way to donate (probably) to the American Red Cross, primarily for humanitarian relief funding in the aftermath of Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy. That is a very good place to direct donations.

Here is a chance to support the wonderful Central Park in Manhattan, which also suffered quite a bit of damage. The money you donate to the foundation will aid in the rehabilitation and ongoing mainenance of the Park.

If you've ever walked, rode, ran, picnicked, or otherwise enjoyed Central Park, you know what a treasure it is for the City. Heck, if you've enjoyed any Park anywhere, you know how important they are to a community's fabric.

~ I find this article utterly fascinating. Makes me wish I comprehend science better than I do. Otherwise, I might understand more than 20% of what the article contains. Even that might be an exaggeration. Still, check it out and appreciate the science that goes into your beer.